Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

I know Amy Van Gerpen insists that the "Temple Mount" is the right place, I've discussed it with her. She has done a lot of research about it.

So, Truthseeker, what you have presented is one possible answer, and my saying that Amy VG disagrees does not mean I dismiss the possibility entirely-- I think it merits more looking into.

Another possibility may be this: The entire temple has not YET been destroyed, but will be in the future!

Why do I think that? Well, I can't completely substantiate it from Scripture, but the idea I get from all the prophetic passages involving a temple, is this scenario I will present to you:

The 3 temples have come and gone. Actually, 2.5 temples to be more exact.

1. Solomon's Temple
2. Zerubbabel's Temple
3. (2.5) Herod's Temple.

Here's where it gets dicey. I suspect that there are 2 more temples to come. (Yes, I could be wrong).

4. The 70th Week Temple. This will be evidently built shortly--definitely between now and the point where the sacrifices and oblations are made to cease. And then, I suspect that during the 2nd half of the Tribulation, there will come a point where this temple will be badly damaged and/or destroyed. (Chapter and verse? Nothing at this point, bear with me, it's a hunch, not an axiom).

5. And then, after our Lord Jesus returns with us at Armageddon and all that, there will, I think, be built the Messiah's Temple, or Ezekiel's Temple. This one I believe will be built to Ezekiel's exact specifications. This one will have the stream running out from it down to the east to the Jordan valley and the (previously) Dead Sea. And how will this one be built? Who will build it? From what will they build it? Great questions, and I'm glad you asked them! But in all this prophetic study, I have learned a little principle called Multi-fulfillment prophecy. Now the funny thing about MFP is, that sometimes you don't know for sure if your hunch about it is right, until it actually is fulfilled. And then I remember that this happened:

oh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 
Joh 2:18  Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 
Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 
Joh 2:20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 
Joh 2:21  But he spake of the temple of his body. 
Joh 2:22  When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 

And John is quick to point out to us, in case we didn't know, that Jesus was talking about the temple of His body.

BUT-- what if it is also a multiple-fulfillment prophecy? What if Jesus will build the 5th Temple Himself in Three days? Not a difficult task for He who made all Creation in 6 days.

Also see:

Mar 14:57  And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 
Mar 14:58  We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 
Mar 14:59  But neither so did their witness agree together. 
Mar 14:60  And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 

So. . . . . that's my hunch.

Well to back up what I was saying about my concept of 2 more temples to come, please consider this page from the Temple Institute:

www.templeinstitute.org/future_temple.htm

Especially this quote:

"Many aspects of the Temple described by Ezekiel are difficult to comprehend, since that vision contains elements of prophetic insight which, in our generation, we do not have the spiritual or intellectual capacity to understand. For example, according to the prophecy of Ezekiel, the structure of the Third Temple will necessitate vast topographical changes in the environs of the Jerusalem. This Temple will differ drastically in size from its predecessors. According to Ezekiel's measurements, the new Temple will be so large that it will occupy the entire area of the city of Jerusalem. Ezekiel's prophecy explains that both the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives will be enlarged and expanded in the future."

So I think I may be on the right track, perhaps, when I say that the Temple Institute people will likely build their temple soon, which will be approximately like the 2nd/3rd temple in size and detail, and they are unable to build Ezekiel's temple at this time because the geography will flat-out not allow it. Therefore, I expect that there will be a 5th temple, matching all of Ezekiel's dimensions, built when Jesus sets up His kingdom.

I do not know Amy Van Gerpen -- and have no way of knowing if she is an expert on the Temple Mount.  I have read two books, which seem to prove both temples were found within the City Of David and the current temple mount is not within the City of David.

Heord's temple is pretty much an expansion of Zerubbabel's temple -- so I will agree it (Herod's) was more 2.5 rather than simply 2.  However, even then (the people of the day) were pretty proud of it  both groups  the disciples and the religious leaders -- praised to "site" -- and Jesus basically said -- Hey folks it is just a building -- and soon it will not even be that.

We can all agree there is no temple now.  We should even be able to agree that it appears (based on a few verses) that at some point in the future there will be another temple and at some point that temple will be defiled.  The when, how and where that "other" temple is for others to worry about -- because I do not expect to be around for it.

As already pointed out all passages which describe the prediction say "not even a single stone here will be left standing on top of another"

Granted it could be stated that "single stone" portion only applied to the Physical Temple itself -- and not necessarily the outer wall structure -- but based on Josephus writings -- when Titus left Jerusalem -- there was no portion of the city left standing.